Four Christians Missing in Hubei Since Beginning of November; Many More Persecuted by Authorities

China Aid Association
Photo: One of the four missing Christians, Zhu Yongping.

(HUBEI — December 12, 2008) Four Christians are missing and many more have been persecuted in Hubei province during the month of November 2008 according to the South China Church house church network. ChinaAid recently received a detailed report from South China Church leaders detailing the arrests, beatings and disappearances of Christians in their house churches in Jingmen city and Xiangfan city areas.
According to church leaders, the four missing believers include: Mr. Yi Peng, Mr. Zhu Yongping, Ms. Wang Ke and one other Christian man. They were all last seen being forcibly taken away by Bureau of State Security officials in separate incidents at the beginning of November. None have been heard from since.
Other Christians have been beaten publically by plainclothes officials; their Bibles, personal property and money taken. In one incident on November 1, house church Christians Li Duojia, Qiu Xiangying and one other Christian were getting ready to get on a train at Jingmen Train Station, when they were beaten by seven or eight plainclothes officials from the Bureau of State Security and investigation team on the train platform. They were handcuffed and detained at a hotel across the street. The authorities took away their Bibles, saying: “We persecute you, confiscate your Bibles and our purpose is not to allow you to believe in Jesus. €¦ This persecution of you is to thoroughly destroy your church, get rid of the missionaries and disband you believers.” During the interrogation, authorities grabbed the Christians by the hair and took photos of them by force from all sides, and then forcibly took prints of their hands and the soles of their feet.
South China Church contacts stated, “Many missionaries and believers are so chased that they cannot go back to their own homes, till their fields, take care of their parents or raise their own children. €¦ We €¦ call on peace-loving people of righteousness from all walks of life to show their concern for South China Church and Chinese believers being persecuted by the authorities.”
Read the full detailed report from South China Church house church network of persecution incidents in November 2008.
Learn more about one of the four missing Chirstians, Mr. Zhu Yongping.
Find out ways you can help the persecuted in China.
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